महादेव उवाच त्वया यधक्तं देवेशि सर्व वेदोक्तमीप्सितम् । अयुक्तमुपहास्यं व समरं परमात्मना
Mahadeva said: O goddess of the gods, all that you have spoken is in accordance with the Vedas and desirable; it is improper and laughable to wage war with the Supreme Self.
बाणो ददातु कन्यां दां स्वर्णभूषणभूषिताम् । सामञ्जस्यं यशस्यं च शुभदं सर्वकर्मसु
Let Bana give his daughter, adorned with golden ornaments, in marriage; this will bring harmony, fame, and auspiciousness in all actions.
न ददाति यदा बाणो हिरण्यकशिपोः प्रजा । युद्धे पराङ्मुखो भीतो भगवत्ययशस्करः
If Bana, descendant of Hiranyakashipu, does not give her, then, turning away in fear in battle, he will bring disgrace upon the blessed one.
बाणो गच्छतु संनाही रणशास्रविशारदः । पश्चाच्चा ऽऽगमनं कुर्मो वयं सांनाहिकाः शिवे
Let Bana, equipped and skilled in the science of war, go forth; afterwards, we will return, O Shiva, as is proper for those equipped for battle.
उवाच बाणं तां दातुं स च न स्वीचकार ह । दुर्गा तं बोधयामास न बुबोध च सद्वचः
He was told to give his daughter to Bana, but he did not agree; Durga tried to instruct him, but he did not heed her good words.
एतस्मिन्नन्तरे तां च सभामेव महोरमाम् । आजगाम महाधर्मो बलिश्च वैष्णवाग्रणीः
Meanwhile, into that great assembly hall came Mahadharma and Bali, the foremost among Vaishnavas.
रथं लत्नेन्द्रनिर्माणं समारुह्य महाबलः । प्रतप्तैः सप्तभिर्दैत्यैः सेवितः श्वेतचामरैः
Mounting a chariot crafted by the divine architect Tvaṣṭṛ, the mighty one was attended by seven Daityas, fanning him with white chowries.
दैत्येन्द्राणां सप्तलक्षैरावृतः परमास्त्रवित् । अवरुह्य रथात्तूर्णं गणेशं च शिवां शिवाम्
Surrounded by seven hundred thousand Daitya chiefs, all masters of supreme weapons, he swiftly descended from the chariot and approached Gaṇeśa, Śiva, and Śivā.
प्रणम्य कार्तिकेयं च स उवास च संसदि । उत्तस्थुरारात्तं दृष्ट्वा ते सर्वे शंकरं विना
Having bowed to Kārtikeya, he took his seat in the assembly; seeing him arrive, all present rose, except for Śaṃkara.
महादेव उवाच भगवंश्चतुरस्त्वं च प्रदाता सर्वसंपदाम् । अयं हि परमो लाभो वैष्णवानां समागमः
Mahādeva said: O Lord, you are wise in all directions and the bestower of every prosperity; truly, the greatest gain for Vaiṣṇavas is your association.
तीर्थान्यपि च पूतानि वैष्णवस्पर्शमात्रतः । सर्वेषामाश्रमाणां च पूजितो ब्राह्मणः शुचिः
Even the holy places are purified merely by the touch of a Vaiṣṇava; and among all the āśramas, the pure brāhmaṇa is worshipped.
ततोऽधिकः पूजितोऽपि ब्राह्मणो यदि वैष्णवः । न हि पूतं च पश्यमि वैष्णवब्राह्मणात्परम्
Yet greater is the worship of a brāhmaṇa who is a Vaiṣṇava; I see nothing purer than a Vaiṣṇava brāhmaṇa.
स पूतः पवनादेव स पूतश्च हुताशानात् । तीर्थेम्योऽपि च सर्वेभ्यो बिभेति च ततः सुरः
He is purified by air, he is purified by fire; even all the holy places are surpassed by him, and the gods are in awe of him.
न हि पापानि तद्देहे वह्नौ शुष्कतृणादिवत्
Indeed, sins in his body are consumed like dry grass in fire.
बलिरुवाच कथं स्तौषि जगन्नाथ भृत्यमस्तव्यमीश्वरः । प्रदत्तं परमेश्वर्य त्वया नाथ सुदुल्रभम्
Bali said: How is it, Lord of the universe, that you praise your own servant? O Supreme Lord, you have granted a boon most rare.
अधुना स्थापितो दैवात्सर्वाधः सुतलेऽपि च । इन्द्राय दत्तमैश्वर्य मत्तो भक्तात्सुरेश्वर
Now, by fate, I have been placed beneath all in Sutala; and the sovereignty given to Indra has come from me, your devoted servant, O Lord of gods.
त्वया वामनरूपेण सर्वरूपोऽसि सर्वतः । बाणं बोधय भद्रं च मम प्राणात्मजं परम्
You, in the form of Vāmana, are all-formed and everywhere; awaken Bāṇa, my beloved son, and bless him.
आत्मना सह युद्धं च देवेष्वपि विगर्हितम् । इत्युक्त्वा च शिवं नत्वा शिरसा प्रणनाम तम्
Even among the gods, fighting with one's own self is condemned; having said this, he bowed his head to Śiva and paid him homage.
सामवेदोक्तस्तोत्रेण तुष्टाव परमेश्वरम् । पुलकाञ्चितसर्वाङ्गः साश्रुनेत्रोऽतिविह्वलः
With a hymn from the Sāmaveda, he praised the Supreme Lord, his whole body bristling with joy, his eyes filled with tears, overwhelmed.
ध्यायमानश्च नित्यं यो हृत्पद्मे सुमनोहरे । शुक्रेण दत्तं मन्त्रं च जप्त्वा चैकादशाक्षरम्
Always meditating upon him in the beautiful lotus of his heart, he recited the eleven-syllable mantra given by Śukra.
बलिरुवाच अदित्याः प्रार्थनेनैव मातुर्देव्या व्रतेन च । पुरा वामनरूपेण त्वयाऽहं वञ्चितः प्रभो
Bali said: By the prayer of Aditi and the vow of the divine mother, O Lord, I was once deceived by you in the form of Vāmana.
संपद्रूपा महालक्ष्मीर्दत्ता भक्ताय भक्तितः । शक्राय मत्तो भक्ताय भ्रात्रे पुण्यवते ध्रुवम्
The goddess Mahālakṣmī, embodiment of prosperity, was given to the devotee out of devotion; to Indra, my devotee, to my brother, the virtuous one, certainly.
अधुना मम पुत्रोऽयं बाणः शंकरकिंकरः । आराच्च रक्षितः सोऽपि तेनैव भक्तबन्धुना
Now, my son Bāṇa is a servant of Śaṃkara; he too has been protected from afar by that friend of devotees.
परिपुष्टश्च पार्वत्या यथा मात्रा सुतस्तथा । गृहीतवांश्च तत्कन्यां बलेन युवतीं सतीम्
He has been nourished by Pārvatī, just as a mother nourishes her son; and by force he took that virtuous young woman as his wife.
समुद्यतश्च तं हन्तुं कार्तिकेनापि वारितः । आगतोऽसि पुनर्हन्तुं पौत्रस्य दमने क्षमः
You rose up to slay him, but were restrained even by Kartikeya; now you have come again to kill, capable of subduing your grandson.
सर्वात्मनश्च सर्वत्र समभावः श्रुतौ श्रुतः । करोषि जगतां नाथ कथमेवं व्यतिक्रमः
It is heard in scripture that the Self is equal everywhere and in all; O Lord of the worlds, how then do you commit such transgression?
त्वया च निहतो यो हि तस्य को रक्षिता भुवि । सुदर्शनस्य तेजो हि सूर्यकोटिनिभं परम्
Who, once slain by you, has any protector on earth? The radiance of Sudarshana is supreme, like ten million suns.
केषां सुराणामस्त्रेण तदेव च निवारितम् । यथा सुदर्शनं चैवमस्त्राणां प्रवरं वरम्
Which of the gods could withstand that weapon? Just as Sudarshana is the foremost among weapons, so it is the best of all.
तथा भवांश्च देवानां सर्वेषामीश्वरः परः । यथा भवांस्तथा कृष्णो विधाता वेधसामपि
In the same way, you are the supreme Lord of all the gods; just as you are, so is Krishna, the creator even of the creators.
विष्णुः सत्त्वगुणाधारः शिवः सत्त्वाश्रयस्तथा । स्वयं विधाता रजसः सृष्टिकर्ता पितामहः
Vishnu is the support of the quality of sattva, and Shiva likewise rests upon sattva; the creator himself is the agent of rajas, the progenitor.